Coal-handling-jig gate.



M. H. REAP.

COAL HANDLINGJIG GATE.

APPLlcATloN FILED MAYIO, 1911.

Patented' Jan.' 8, 1918.

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WTVESSES A NOR/vins M. H. REAP.

CO'AL HANDLING JIG GATE. APPucATIoN man MAY1o.1917.

Paten a i Jan. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIL

mv N MICHAEL H. REAP, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

COAL-HANDLING-J' IG GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.. 8, 1918.

Application led. May 10, 1917. Serial No. 167,696.

,of Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Coal-HandlingJ ig Gate, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and enact description.

Among the principall objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide .means for separating coal from base mineral associated therewith; to avoid waste of the coal; to facilitate the operation of the mechanism for separating said materials; and to avoid the unintentional increment of weight on operating parts of the separating mechanism.

Drawings. Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section vof a coal-handling equipped with a gate constructed in accordance with the present invention Fig. 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, the section being taken as von the line 2-2 in Fig. l; l

Fig. 3 is a cross section on an enlarged scale, of the gate and housing therefor.

Description.

Heretofore igs of the character mentioned have employed gates or obstructions to prevent the delivery thereunder of the base minerals asscciated with the coal as mined and Vdelivered therewith to the jig. One form of the previous construction is disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,217,826, granted to me February 27, 1917, for regulator for separators. lin the construction disclosed by the mentioned patent, two causes exist which operate detrimentally to the perfect fune V8. 'i he lower edge of the coal A delivered to the conveyer 12 up the said conveyer to the delivery end thereof.

` Below the header 9, an opening or gateway ll` gives access to a second chute 15, wherein a belt conveyer 16 operates. rihe belt conveyer 16 has a series of blades 17, which engage the base mineral, such as rock B, whichV has been separated from the coal in the breaker and by the operation of thev water L in the jig.

As seen best in F i g. 2 of the drawings, the gateway 14e is partially closed by the gate gate 8 has a series of teeth 20 to i facilitate the operation of sinking the said gate downward through the mass of base mineral B in front of the gateway 1&1. Normally the body of the gate 8 is contained within the housing formed by plates 2l and 22. The plates 21 and 22 are held as shown best in Fig. 3 of the drawings, by bolts 19. rlChe bottom opening of the housing or that between the plates 21 and 22 is such as .to neatly fit the gate 8 to form a guide therefor. A further guide for the saidfgate is provided by the boss 23 through bores formed in which extend suspension rods The rods 24, as seen best in F ig. 2 of the drawings, are pivotally connected vwith the'levers 25 of the gate suspension mechanism.

As seen best in Fig. S'of the drawings, an inclined perforated bench 2@ is mounted on the plate 22. The bench 26 is extended from the gate S to substantially the level vof the upper part of the gateway la, thereby pre'- venting the accumulation of solid material in this location. By means of the perforations 1S, the bench 26 is kept clear of refuse and the coal A thereon is prevented from clogging or packing on the said bench.

As in most jigs of the character mentioned. the materials, such as the coal A and mineral E, are agitated by being floated partially or entirely within the container 27. The means employed for floating the said materials is water admitted to the container 27 and agitated by a plunger 28, which by means of suitable mechanism is reciprocated in a piston compartment 29. The compartment 29 is separated from the container 27 by a solid partition 30, and by a perforated bottom 31. The perforations in the bottom 31 and in thebench 2 permit the water in the tank 32 and container 27 to drive upward through the 'said bottom and bench to lift the material resting thereon, and to influence the body ot water in the container 27 to lift momentarily the coal A and mineralB,-to permit the dierence in specific gravity in the two materials to effect arseparation thereof, the mineral B sinking faster because of its greater weight than the coal A.

The degree to which the gate 8 closes thel gatewayk 14, is determinedby a float 33. The float 33, as seen best in Fig. l of the drawings, is cylindrical in form to above the normal water level in the container 27. To .avoid possibility of lodgment ot' coal on the float 33, the cylindrical portion is capped by a tapered top 34. Extending through Y l the float 33 is an open-ended tube 35 provided to receive a guide rod 376. rlhe yrod v 36 is rigidly mounted on the bottom 31.

-on the levers 25.

rlhe tube 35 is operatively connected with the lever 25. rhe connection between the lever 25 and the tube 35 employs a bifurcated end of the tube which forms an elongated slot 37 through which a cross bar 38 extends, said bar being connected at the end of each of the levers 25. The upper end of the slot 37 is closed and in this manner a certain amount ot free or lost motion is'permitted the float 33 independent of any operative eflect which the said float may have This independent movement of the float permits the same to operate in response to the pulsation of the water inl the container' 27 without correspondingly operating the gate S.

As above stated, the levers 25 are pivotally connected to suspension rods 24. The levers 25 are pivotally mounted by pins 39 on the standing frame. The extensions 40 are rigidly connected with the levers 25, and have slidably mounted thereon counterbalancing weights 4l. rThe weights 41 are provided Vto counterbalance the floats 33 to give to the said `floats any desired buoyancy. It is obvious that by moving the weights 41 toward and away from the pivot pins 39, ,the weight of the gate 8 and the iioat 33 is counterbalanced in part or in whole.

Operation.

tainer 27. rl`he bottoml 31 is inclined to.

slightly accelerate the movement of the materials from the hopper 42 to the container 27. The tank 32 is filled with water or other suitable fluid to an ascertained level,

as seen best in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The water also fills the sluiceway 29.

During the operation of the jig, the plungerv28 is continuously reciprocated to cause the water in the Vtank 32 to surge and liow upward and downward through the perforation in the bottom 31, and within the container 27 the lifting force Vof the water Voperates more efficiently on the lighter material, which in the present instance, is the coal. rl`he coal is'thus parted from the base mineral. A further separation is effected due to the quicker precipitation of the base mineralwhen the same falls at the arrestation of the surging effect of the water. Repeated actions result in ei'iiectively separating the two materials.

Consequently, as'the container 27 is filled,

two distinct layersor strata are to be found Y f through the stratum of coal until it rests upon the base mineral. In this manner thel float operates as a gage for the quantityl of base mineral deposit inthe Container 27.

The gate 8 isV so disposed in its relation to the float 33, that when the stratum ot base mineral is negligible or thin, the said gate is lowered vto close the gateway 14. This dis- Y position ofthe gate Sretards the delivery of the base mineral B, causing the same to accumulate in the container 27 ln the perit'ect operation of the jig', the stratum of base mineral B should always reach above the lower edge of the bench 26. ln the normal operation of the jig, when the stratum of base mineral B approaches the level of the lower edge of the bench 2G, the gate 8 is depressed sutliciently to increasev the deposit of base mineral in the container 27 This insures against the possible waste of the coal A which would result should the same pass below the said bench 2G.

As the deposit of materials accumulates in the container 27, the upper level of 'the coal A. rises abovey the sill 10 and flows thereover into the boot or receiving end of the chute 11. The operation of the conveyer 12 thereafter delivers the coal separated from the base mineral to the destination intended for said coal. Should the depletion of the coal for any reason become excessive and the inby the stratum ot base mineral, sinkingfV crement of the base mineral be such as to be in danger ot' overflowing from the container 27 to the chute 11, the'fioat 33 is lifted and the gate 8 widely opened so that a quantity of the mineral B passes through the gate equal to that entering'the container 27 under the partition 43. This effectively prevents the increase of the base mineral in the container 27.

It is obvious thatV should the base mineral be delivered to the chute 1l and thence to the coil deposit, the coal deposit would be partially or entirely destroyed.

It is also obvious that in the operation, the rod 37 efficiently guides the iioat 33 in its rise and fall. lt is equally obvious that the lift and depression of the gate 8 is not retarded by surface friction or pressure of the minerals in the container 27 against the surface thereof. For these two reasons, the functioning of the gate and fioat is purely responsive to the accumulation of the inin-y erals delivered to the container 27.

It is further obvious that the inclined bench 26 serves most efficiently to prevent the accession of coal to the gatewaythrough which is normally delivered the base mineral. Also it will be seen that by arranging the structure of the said bench so that the upward surging water lifts the material from the surface thereof, the tendency to accumulate or frictionally retard the flow of coal over the said bench is eliminated.

l. llhe combination of a jig having a container wherein coal and base mineral are partially floated for stratifying the same, said jig having outlets vertically separated for independent delivery of said coal and mineral; a gate for regulating the degree of opening of the lower outlet; a float supported by said mineral at approximately the line of separation of said coal; means operatively connecting said `lioat and said gate for disposing said gate in correspondence with said iioat; a housing for said gate adapted for preventing the pressure of coal on said gate; a stationary fender extending into said from said housing to below the normal line of separation of said coal and said mineral for maintaining a fixed passage for said mineral to said gate and the delivery opening controlled thereby; and

means for forcing pulsatingy jets of water through the region below said fender in proximity to the gate and through said fender for reducing the binding effect of accumulated slate on said gate.

2. lThe combination of a jig having a container wherein coal and base mineral are partially floated for stratifying the same, said jig having outlets vertically separated for independent delivery of said coal and mineral; a gate for regulating the degree of opening of the lower outlet; a float supported by said mineral at approximately the line of separation of said coal; means operatively connecting said iioat and said gate for vdisposing said gate in correspondence with said float; a housing for said gate adapted for preventing the pressure of coal on said gate; a stationary bench extended from said housing toward the center of said jig for forming a passageway in advance of said gate; and means for forcing pulsating jets of water through the region below said bench in proximity to the gate and through said bench for reducing the binding effect of accumulated slate on said gate.

3, The combination of a jig having a container wherein coal and base mineral are partially iioated for` stratifying the same, said jig having outlets vertically separated for independent delivery of said coal and mineral; a gate for regulating the degree of opening of the lower outlet; a float supported by said mineral at approximately the line of separation of said coal; means operatively connecting said float and said gate for disposing said gate in correspondence with said float; a housing for said gate adapted for preventing the pressure of coal on said gate; a stationary bench extended from said housing toward the center of said jig for forming a passageway in advance of said jig; and means for forcing pulsating jets of water through the region below said bench in proximity to the gate and through said bench for reducing the binding effect of accumulated slate on said gate, said means embodying passages for liquid formed in said bench for permitting the liquid to surge upward through said openings.

MICHAEL H. REAP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iii-'e cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

